Gaming machines which provide players awards in primary or base games are well known. Gaming machines generally require the player to place or make a wager to activate a primary or base game. Certain of these gaming machines randomly determine a game presentation, such as a plurality of symbols displayed on the reels of a slot machine to be presented or displayed to the player. These gaming machines then analyze the randomly generated game presentation in view of a predetermined pay table of all possible game presentations for the specific game played to determine the appropriate award and other outcome that corresponds with the generated game presentation. Certain other known gaming machines use probability data to directly determine awards or other outcomes.
Such probability-based gaming machines typically include a relatively low probability associated with obtaining the highest award or obtaining a game presentation that corresponds to the highest award, relatively medium probabilities associated with obtaining medium range awards or obtaining game presentations that corresponds to medium range awards and relatively higher probabilities associated with low range awards or obtaining game presentations that corresponds to obtaining low range awards. These gaming machines also include probabilities associated with obtaining losses or no award at all.
The probabilities of obtaining the awards and the amount of the awards determine the average expected pay out percentage of these wagering gaming machines. Because the outcomes of these gaming machines are randomly determined or completely based upon a probability calculation, there is no certainty that a player will ever obtain any particular award. That is, no matter how many times a player plays the game, since the gaming machine generates outcomes completely based upon a probability calculation, there is no certainty that the game will ever provide the player with a rare (or very low probability) outcome, such as a jackpot award, or any other specific value for that matter. On the other hand, due to the random determination, the gaming machine can provide the rare (or very low probability) outcomes, such as jackpot awards, numerous times in a small number of plays. For example, a probability-based $1 slot machine gaming machine may be programmed to payback 95% of all wagers placed with a 1% chance of generating a $10 win outcome, a 5% chance of generating a $5 win outcome, a 10% chance of generating a $2 win outcome, a 40% chance of generating a $1 win outcome and a 44% chance of generating a $0 loss outcome. However, when one hundred game outcomes are generated by the probability-based slot machine gaming machine, the actual payback may be 137% of all wagers placed and the actual generated outcomes may be six $10 win outcomes, one $5 win outcome, eighteen $2 win outcomes, thirty-six $1 win outcomes and thirty-nine $0 loss outcomes.
This uncertainty is faced by players and casinos or other gaming establishments. For example, certain casinos prefer that a relatively high number of players hit low awards while a relatively low number of players hit high awards. When players hit high awards periodically, casinos attract more players, because of the positive publicity large wins generate. By using desired payback percentages or probabilities, the casinos can also expect to make a certain level of profit. The random determinations can, however, unexpectedly cause casinos to suffer a loss or, on the other hand, to reap great profit in the short run and lose business in the long run due to a reputation for only paying out low awards.
Regulatory bodies in certain jurisdictions do not permit the use of probability-based gaming machines in-part for these reasons. These regulatory bodies permit the use of wagering gaming machines which are guaranteed to provide certain or definite awards, so that, for example, a certain number of wins is guaranteed and the overall amount paid back to players is guaranteed. That is, the payback percentage is static and not an average expected amount. One type of gaming machine which complies with this requirement is an instant-type lottery gaming machine. An instant-type lottery gaming machine includes a finite pool or set of electronic tickets with each electronic ticket assigned to a predetermined outcome. Furthermore, each electronic ticket contains an indication of how the predetermined outcome is presented or displayed to the player. Alternatively, each electronic ticket could be assigned to a random number or game play seed. Each seed is deterministic of a predetermined outcome and how the predetermined outcome is presented or displayed to the player. That is, the gaming machine utilizes the random number or game play seed in a random number sequence generator to generate random numbers. The gaming machine uses the generated random numbers to determine, present and provide the predetermined outcome to the player. In an instant-type lottery gaming machine, as the predetermined outcome for each electronic ticket is revealed to a player on the gaming machine, the ticket is removed (i.e., flagged as used) from the finite pool or set of electronic tickets. Once flagged, a ticket cannot be used again to determine another game outcome. This type of gaming machine provides players with all of the available outcomes over the course of the play cycle and guarantees the actual wins and losses.
Central determination gaming systems are also generally known. A central determination gaming system provides a plurality of individual gaming machines, located in a gaming establishment, such as a casino, coupled by one or more communication links, to a central processor or controller. When a player plays a game on one of the gaming machines, the game outcome and how the game outcome is presented or displayed to the player is communicated from the central processor or controller to the individual gaming machine and then provided to the player. It should be appreciated that the central processor or controller may continuously run hundreds or thousands of individual gaming machines at once. There are a number of advantages to providing for centralized production of game outcomes to be used at individual gaming machines. For example, central production or control can assist a casino or other entity in maintaining proper records, controlling gaming, reducing and preventing cheating or electronic or other errors, reducing or eliminating win-loss volatility and the like.
To comply with the above mentioned regulatory rules that do not permit the use of probability-based gaming machines, central determination gaming systems have been implemented wherein the central processor or controller maintains one or more predetermined pools or sets of game outcomes. Additionally, certain central determination gaming systems have also been implemented wherein the central system maintains one or more predetermined pools or sets of random number or game outcome seeds. However, this requires a great deal of memory for the central processor or controller because in addition to storing each game outcome, the central processor or controller must also store how each game outcome in each pool or set of game outcomes is presented or displayed to the player, such as how the reels stop in the case of a slot machine, how the cards are dealt or drawn in the case of a card game and the like.
Gaming machines employing a secondary or a bonus game are also well known. A secondary or bonus game may be any type of suitable game, either similar to or completely different from the primary game, which is entered upon the occurrence of a triggering event or a selected outcome in the primary game. The secondary or bonus game enables the player to obtain a prize or payout in addition to the prize or payout, if any, obtained from the primary game. A secondary or bonus game produces a significantly higher level of player excitement than the primary game because it provides a greater expectation of winning than the primary game and is accompanied with more attractive or unusual features than the primary game.
While such secondary games are popular amongst players, certain players become discouraged by the frequency which such secondary games are triggered. For example, when a secondary game is not triggered relatively frequently, a player may feel deflated and not wish to continue playing the gaming machine. There is thus a continuing need to provide new and different gaming machines and gaming systems as well as new and different ways to provide awards to players via secondary games.